


How to Raise a Grub-Human Hybrid

by IWannaBeYahtzee



Series: Karkat and Dave raise a Grub [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Cute Kids, Exactly What It Says on the Tin, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grubs (Homestuck), Grubscars, How Do I Tag, Hybrids, M/M, Post-Sburb (Homestuck), Post-Sburb/Sgrub
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23637613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWannaBeYahtzee/pseuds/IWannaBeYahtzee
Summary: Troll or Human? Ketora wasn't quite either. But she was theirs. And Dave and Karkat were more than happy to have her.
Relationships: Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam
Series: Karkat and Dave raise a Grub [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701649
Comments: 3
Kudos: 68





	1. Egg

**Author's Note:**

> So this is probably gonna be a series of vignettes covering different stages of Ketora's life and how Dave and Karkat navigate them. Also this fic was heavily inspired by the movie Wolf Children. It's an amazing flick and you should watch it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

From the beginning, it wasn't easy. While Kanaya and Rose were very good at what they did and had assured them that it was possible, it had never been attempted before. There was no guaruntee Human and Troll DNA was even compatible. Still they obtained the samples (that was fun night), handed them over, and hoped for the best.

There was a lot of anxiety in the early stages. The samples didn't take as readily as they usually would. They had braced themselves for heartbreak but just when it seemed like it would never happen, the DNA successfully integrated and the incubation process began. Karkat would never admit it but he was nearly in tears with relief that day. Not that Dave could say he was the picture of composure.

They weren't out of woods yet, however. The incubation was going well and the egg was developing normally but it was much more fragile than the typical troll egg. Rose compared its shell to more that of a chicken egg than the tough covering typical for grubs. Unless it thickened up it risked cracking in incubation or worse breaking apart entirely.

There were many close calls, many sleepless nights, a lot of crying and hoping and praying. 

But against all odds the little egg pulled through. It didn't thicken up much but it miraculously managed to make it through the incubation process without cracking. The last part would be up to it. The egg was placed in a customary nest to wait out the remaining weeks of growth.

Dave could only persuade Karkat out of moving into the facility by promising they'd visit every day. The troll saw to it that they kept that promise too. Dave would talk to the little egg sometimes. He'd run a finger gently over the smooth polished surface of the shell and whisper about how excited they were to meet them, how much he hoped it liked it's new life with them, how much Karkat was fussing over its room and how adorable that was to him.

It was the middle of the night when they got the call that it was finally time. They rushed over as quickly as they could to watch their little grub hatch.

They watched the cracks form like spider webs across the shell. Soon enough they could see movement, tiny horns easily pushing apart the fragile egg. 

And there she was. Big, bouncy and red as could be. 

Ketora.

She was a lot bigger than most grubs were when they emerged, so big that the egg could hardly contain her. Where normally a grub could crawl around on your palm, she had to be cradled in their arms. She had the same soft, wriggly body, the same stubby chitinous legs, the same candy corn horns and sharp fangs. But no grey skin, no yellow bug like eyes, blonde hair instead of black. 

Troll or human? They weren't sure if she was either. But she was theirs. And they were so happy she was finally here.

  
Dave's eyes were misty as he showed Karkat how to hold their little grub. The troll had a wide grin on his face, red tears pouring down his cheeks. "She's here, Dave." He choked out, nuzzling the chirping, cooing little bundle in his arms.

"Yeah. Here she is." Dave responded wetly, wiping at his eyes. "God she's fucking perfect."

"She's so _big_! " Karkat crooned, toying with the fluffy blonde hair nestled at the base of her crescent horns. She giggled, her red eyes sparkling with laughter.

"For a grub, yeah. For a human baby she's just right." Dave murmured dreamily, poking playfully at her cute, plump, grubby belly. "Hey there, sweetheart. We're your daddies! We've been so excited to meet you."

"Took you long enough." Karkat joked, using his shoulder to rub the tears from his cheek, not wanting to take his hands off this perfect little creature. They were all too eager to bring her home.


	2. Learning the Ropes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ketora is something entirely new and presents quite a few challenges to her new parents.

Of course they had a lot of questions and nobody to ask. No one had ever seen anything like Ketora before and no one really knew what she needed. She wasn't a grub and she wasn't a human, so trying to treat her as either just wouldn't work.

Karkat had balked at the concept of a diaper but Dave had put his foot down on getting his child to do their business in a litter box so the troll conceded that one.

Ketora refused to eat the red meat that typical grubs needed to grow strong and she couldn't keep down formula. Dave and Karkat had nearly gotten into a shouting match after hours of frustration trying to get her to eat. Eventually they got her eating by mixing formula with raw eggs.

When she was fussy and didn't want the bottle, Dave figured out the trick of soaking a cotton cloth with formula and letting her gnaw on it for a while. Karkat would stay up for long hours reading as much as he could about both human and troll biology. He'd often fall asleep in a pile of books.

Karkats long pointed ears pricked up at the sound of his daughter crying in the other room. He shot up from his desk and rushed to her room. Dave was already there, rocking their wailing grub gently. He turned to him and smiled sleepily. "She's fine. Just fussy."

Karkat sighed in relief, pushing off of the door and coming to stand next to Dave. "Little brats gonna give me a blood pusher attack." He breathed, no actual malice in his voice.

Dave continued to bounce and rock their little baby, trying to soothe her. "Easy baby girl, I gotcha." He murmured.

Karkat let his cheek rest on Dave's shoulder, looking down at their fussy little grub. "I wish we knew what was making her so upset." He sighed, patting her little head.

Dave yawned. "Babies cry, Karkles. It's the only way they know how to get attention. Never thought anyone could scream louder than you but-"

Karkat elbowed him tiredly. "I just hate to hear her cry like this." He continued stroking her hair and scratching lightly at the base of her horns. "Its ok, Ketora. We're right here. You're ok. Please don't cry."

"I know it's hard babe." Dave agreed. "But I already fed her and her diaper is clean so maybe she just wanted her daddies?" He suggested. Ketora was calming down a bit now, her screaming turned to whining and chittering.

Karkat smiled. "...Yeah. Maybe."


	3. All Worn Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its taken so long for an update. I have a lot of other works I'm writing right now so please be patient with me.

Anyone who had even seen a baby knew that one of the first big challenges was getting them to sleep through the night. Some nights Ketora would just cry and cry and all her befuddled daddies could do was rock her and rub her back until she finally fell asleep. For how much of the night she spent screaming she seemed no less energetic during the day. 

Ketora was a very bubbly and playful child always tugging on her daddies sleeves with her little teeth, trying to get them in on the fun. Dave and Karkat could hardly keep up with her on a normal day. But after a night with little to no sleep even watching her scuttle around the house was enough to tire them. Whenever she gave them even a moments peace they'd inevitably nod off. 

  
Dave snapped awake as he felt tiny teeth pulling at his hair. When had he ended up on the floor? Ketora pulled herself up over his head on her front two legs and draped herself over his forehead, chittering happily all the while.

Oh that's right. Karkat was taking a nap in the other room and he'd sat down to play with Ketora to hopefully tire her out enough for her nap.

Dave sighed and pulled the giggling grub off of his forehead. "You're not even a little tired?" He asked.

Ketora wriggled energetically in his hands as if in answer to his question.

"You're killing me, kid." Dave groaned.

He stood, rocking the squirming baby in his arms and humming the first song that came to his head as he carried her to her room. Which happened to be Mockingbird by Eminem.

Ketora chirped happily at the sound of her father's voice, wiggling her little legs. "You like that huh?" Dave smiled, raising an eyebrow.

The giggly red grub nuzzled into his arms, gnawing cutely on his shirt sleeve. Dave chuckled, bouncing and rocking her as he began to softly sing the trashy rap song.

"Now hush little baby, don't you cry. Everything's gonna be alright.   
Stiffen that upper lip up little lady,   
I told ya daddy's here to hold ya through the night." 

Ketora began to settle as he murmured the words. Dave had no idea how this was working but he wasn't about to question it. He just kept rapping.

"I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why.   
It may seem a little crazy pretty baby but I promise,   
Mama's gonna be alright." 

The little grub began to yawn, curling up in Dave's arms and rubbing at her big eyes. Dave laid her down in her crib and wrapped her up in her blanket.

"And if you ask me to  
Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird  
I'ma give you the world  
I'ma buy a diamond ring for you  
I'ma sing for you, I'll do anything for you to see you smile"

Ketora let out a content little sigh, snuggling up in the blanket. She looked so small and fragile in that big crib. So very vulnerable. But Dave didn't let himself worry much. If anybody ever tried to hurt her, between him and Karkat, there'd be hell to pay.

"And if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine  
I'ma break that birdy's neck  
I'll go back to the jeweller who sold it to ya  
And make him eat every carat  
Don't fuck with dad, haha"


End file.
